¹⁷ Do not listen^(A) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.^(B) Why should this city become a ruin?

²³ “All your wives and children^(A) will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape^(B) from their hands but will be captured^(C) by the king of Babylon; and this city will^[a] be burned down.”^(D)

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender^(A) to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.^(B)

¹¹ But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke^(A) of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live^(B) there, declares the Lord.”’”

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke^(C) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.^{(D) 13} Why will you and your people die^(E) by the sword, famine and plague^(F) with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

³⁴ I will bring an end to the sounds^(A) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom^(B) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,^(C) for the land will become desolate.^(D)